The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old South African woman, Qhina Beauty, after operatives allegedly found 36.65 kilograms of cocaine in her luggage at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
The agency also arrested a 62-year-old Nigerian-American grandmother, Anetor Gloria Ubong, following the alleged discovery of 9.45kg of high-grade cannabis, known as loud, in her luggage after she arrived from the United States.
NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the arrests in a statement, adding that operatives carried out other drug seizures across several states.
According to Babafemi, Qhina was arrested at the departure hall of the Lagos airport on October 7 while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to South Africa through Doha.
He said a search of two bags belonging to her uncovered 30 blocks of cocaine weighing 36.65kg. The drugs were allegedly covered with dried pepper, wrapped in cellotape and arranged in seven parcels.
During questioning, Qhina reportedly told investigators that she arrived in Nigeria on September 30 to collect the consignment.
She allegedly claimed that another South African woman recruited her and promised to pay her R20,000 after delivering the drugs.
Babafemi said investigations subsequently led to the arrest of a 46-year-old car dealer, Uchenna Victor Umunnakwe, at Apple Junction, Ago Palace Way, Lagos, on October 14.
According to the NDLEA, Umunnakwe admitted receiving Qhina at the airport and arranging accommodation for her ahead of her planned departure.
In a separate operation at the Lagos airport on October 21, NDLEA officers arrested Ubong, a realtor based in Richmond, Texas, who holds Nigerian and United States passports.
The agency said she was intercepted after arriving aboard a United Airlines flight from Houston.
A search of her two checked-in boxes allegedly uncovered 18 parcels of loud weighing 9.45kg, concealed with gift wrapping paper.
Ubong reportedly told investigators that the box had been delivered to her home in the United States by her daughter and her daughter's future brother-in-law for delivery to her daughter's fiancé in Nigeria.
The agency also announced several other arrests and seizures in different parts of the country.
In Lagos, operatives arrested 41-year-old Eletu Rasheedat at Eti Osa on October 23 and allegedly recovered 5,820 diazepam pills, 780 tramadol tablets, 3.7kg of skunk and 230.25 litres of skuchies.
In Delta State, 51-year-old Peter Ugochukwu was arrested in Warri with quantities of pharmaceutical opioids, including tramadol, codeine syrup, Rohypnol and diazepam.
NDLEA operatives also arrested a 46-year-old physically challenged woman, Helen Bakporo Samson, at Enerhen Junction, Warri, on October 19 after allegedly finding 6kg of skunk in her possession.
In Oyo State, Fajana Dada Oluwaseyi, 41, was arrested in Adamasingba, Ibadan, after the agency said he had earlier escaped when officers seized 197.8kg of cannabis sativa from his residence in September.
Other operations reported by the agency included seizures and arrests in Kano, Taraba, Niger, Bauchi, Ondo and Edo states.
In Ondo State, NDLEA officers raided a farm at Board-Ala in Akure South on October 20 and recovered 56 bags of abandoned cannabis sativa weighing 583kg.
The agency said two cannabis farms in Ugbada Forest, Uzebba, Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State, with an estimated yield of 2,023.14kg, were also destroyed during an operation.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended officers involved in the operations and urged them to sustain efforts against drug trafficking and substance abuse.